Feed distributor



March 9 1926. 1,575,930

R. vc. OLSON FEED DISTRIBUTOR Filed Oct. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 9, 1926. 1,575,930

R. c. OLSON I FEED DISTRIBUTOR Filed Oct. 29, 1924 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED stares.

rat su r -orrifcts ROBERT CARL OLSON, OF ZION, ILLINOIS.

DISTRIBUTOR.

Application filed -ctober 29,..1924. Serial No. 746,645.

To all whom it may concern; 1

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. OLSON, a

citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Zion,

in the county of Lake and State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Feed Dis tributor, of which the following is a specifi-, cation.

I This invention relates to adevice designed primarily for distributing feed to poultry,

one of the objects of the invention being to provide a structure ofthis character which, at a predetermined time, will be released so as to operate automatically to broadcast feed so that it will be scattered in the vicinity of the structure.

' A further object is to provide-a device of and claimed, it being understood that changes in'the preciseeinbodiment of the inventionherein disclosed may be madewithin the scope-0f whatis claimed without departingfroni the spirit of the invention. i

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form'of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is an'elevation of the feed dis tributor, a portion of the time controlled release mechanism being broken away; and the broadcasting container being illustrated by full lines in normal or setposition and by broken lines in oneof the positions assumed thereby during the broadcasting operation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe structure. Fig. 8-is an elevation of the time con trolled release mechanism. I Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the disk.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the bottom, disk showing a ratchet structure.

Another object is to providea means for Figure 6 is a section on line 6+6'Fi-gpre 5 showing thespiral in elevation.

Referring to the figuresby charactersof structure to which is secured the upper'end 2 of a depending twisted guide strip or;

spiral 3, the lower end of which has anen} largement or stop 4. That portion of this spiralguide nearest the collar 4 is reducedto form a round stem 5.

Slidabl'y mounted on the spiral 3. is a con tainer 6 having legs 7 at desiredintervals which connect the open bottomo'f the con -reference 1 designates a suitable supporting tainer to a frusto-conical distributing or.

broadcasting disk 8. This disk projects radially beyondthe wall of the .container 1 and thisprojecting port-ion isv slit radially as shown at 9 to provide sep'arate' blad es l0. An elongated opening 11. is formed'in the disk 8 and is adaptedto {it loosely on a spi ral 3-so that, as; the disk 8,,andcon-tainer 6 descend gravity, a rotary motion will; be

imparted thereto in the directionindicated. 1

by the arrow in Fig. 2. The advancing edges of the blades 10 are. free of projecting portions but the opposed or following edges of-"thebla'des are provided with upturned.

flanges 11. Thus it will be apparent that as the container and disk rotate thematerial distributed from the disk by centrifugal force and by gravity will-be thrust outward ly by the flanges 11. I

The opening between disk 8 and the-wall of container 6-is normally closed by a band 12 loosely mounted on the containerjand having. inclined slots 13.

Studs 14 project from the container and into these-slots and, when the COIltEl-lIlQf-IS in its normal or closed position, the studs are located in the upper portions of the slots. ,A stud 15 projects from band 12 and is adapted, to engage a hanger 16 depending from the structure.

A lug17 projectsfrom the 11 1) of the container 6 and normally bears against a finger 18 projecting from one end of a lever 19. The other end, of this lever extends close to a cam 20 carriedlby'the winding stem 21. of the alarm mechanism of a clock. This]: clock is suitably supported on the structure land, can be set so that the alarm mechanism will be released at any predetermined time.

Another lug 23 is extended from the top.

or" the container 6 and is engagedby ahook '24 which, in turn, is connected by a spring 25 to the structure 1. This hook merely bears against the lug 28, it being held in engagement therewith by the tension of spring 25. In using the device, the container- 6 is filled with the ain or other food to be scattered and is rought to, its raised position with the lug 17 in engagement with the finger 18. Hook 24 is then placed in engagement with lug 28 so as to hold spring 25 under tension. Whenthe container is thus located upon the upper portion of the spiral 3, the stud 15 will besupported back of the lower portion of hanger 16 and the closure band 12 will rest upon the disk 8, ,thereby preventing escape of the contents of the container. l

When, at a predetermined time, the alarm mechanismot the clock is actuated, cam 20, which rotates with stem 21, will thrust against lever 19 and shift its finger 18 out of the path of lug 17. Thus spring 25 will be allowed to contract and will thereby impart an initialrotary impulse to the. container 6. As thecontainer rotates, it also descends along the spiral 3 but during the first portion of this movement, the stud 15 is held against rotation by'hanger 16. Thus as the container rotates within the held band 12, the disk 8 will move downwardly away from the band and will allow grain to escape under the band. The grain will be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force "and the blades 10 and flanges 11 will operate to scatter the grain considerable distances. This operation continues until the container reaches its lowermost position at which time disk 8 rests upon the collar t and is allowed to spin with the container 6 upon the stem 5 until its momentum is lost.

This structure can be readily installed and is advantageous because it insures proper broadcasting of the feed at any predetermined time. 1 7

If desired, and as shown in Fig. 5, the bottom of the container can be provided with an opening 25 covered by a ratchet disk .26 which is connected to but adapted to r0 tate upon the bottom 27 of the container as shown in Figure ,6. A spring pressed pawl 28 is pivotally mounted on the bottom 27 and normally engages the teeth of the ratchet disk 26. Avslot 29 is provided in the ratchet disk 26 and is adapted to slidably engage the spiral 80.

It will be apparent that when the container is moved upwardly along the spiral the ratchet disk 26 will be free to rotate relative to the bottom 27 because the teeth of the ratchet disk can, during this movement, slip past the end of the pawl 28. When the container moves downwardy, however, the rotating disk 26 will thrust against the pawl 27 and cause the container to revolve. \Vith this arrangement the container can be more quickly raised than where it is necessary to revolve it during the upward movement as in the structure shown in Fig. 1. 7

What is claimed is 1. The combination With a spiral .guid stem and a support therefor, of a container mounted to slide and rotate upon the stem, a broadcastingdisk spaced from but rotatablewith the bottom portion of the container,

means for holding the container against rotatlon, time controlled means for releaslng the contalner, means for imparting an 1n1t1al impulse to the container when "released, a}

closure for the container, and means for opening the closure during the actuation of i the contalner. 1

, 2. The combination with a spiral guide strip and a support therefor, of a container mounted to gravitate and rotate upon the stem, a broadcasting disk spaced from but rotatable with the lower portion of the con- :tainer, radial blades at the margins of the mountedto gravitate and rotateupon the stem, a broadcasting'diskzspaced from: but rotatable with the bottom portion of the container, means for releasingthe container,

means for imparting an initial impulse to. 100

the rotation of the container when released, a closure for the container, and means for retarding the movement during the actua tion of the container, thereby to release the contents of the container. 1 V i 1 a 4. The combination with a spiral guide stem and a support therefor,ofa container 4 mounted to ravitate and rotate upon the stem, :1. broac casting disk spaced from but rotatable withthe container,a band movably. mounted on the container and normally sup-= ported by the disk-to retain the contents of the container, means forholding the con. tainer against rotation, means for releasing the container, meansfor holding the hand against rotation during theinitial portion of the rotation ofthe container, and cooperating means upon'the band and container for changin-gthe relative positions oi the disk and band to release the contents of the (3011-, tainer. i

5. The combination with a spiral guide stem and a support therefor, of a container mounted to gravitate and rotate upon the container and within the slots, a projection upon the band, and fixed means in the path of said projection for holding the band against rotation during a portion of the r0- tation of the container, thereby to release the contents of the container. 1

6. The combination with a spiral guide stem and a support therefor, of a container mounted to gravitate and rotate upon the stem, a broadcasting disk spaced from but rotatable with the bottom of the container, means for holding the container against rotation, time controlled means for releasing the container means for imparting an initial impulse to the rotation of the container when released, a closure for the container, and means for retarding the movement or" the closure during the actuation of the container, thereby to release the contents of the container.

7. The combination with a spiral guide ting rotation of the disk independently of the container during the upward movement of said container, a closure for the container,

and means for shifting the closure relative to the container during the actuation of the container.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signa ture.

ROBERT CARL OLSON. 

